The Great Ethiopian Run is Africa's largest road race. Photo: Ethiopian Review

The Great Ethiopian Run is Africa’s largest road race.

The 10th edition of the Great Ethiopian Run (GER) will kick off this weekend in the country’s capital, Addis Ababa. The race was founded by marathon world-record holder Haile Gebrselassie. Close to 35,000 runners, including diplomats, tourists and international athletes will take part in the 10K event. In the first running of the race, 10,000 athletes took part but there were no international athletes. As the event’s popularity and exposure grew, so did the number of international athletes competing. Last year, 200 such athletes came to Ethiopia to compete.

Organizers of the GER are trying to expand the popularity of the event. This year, they are producing a 30-minute documentary film at the end of Sunday’s race. The film will then be broadcast worldwide to promote sports tourism in Ethiopia.

The race also seeks to promote charity fundraising. A campaign called “Running for a child” was created to raise money for orphans and children in need.